Sri Lanka whale-watching on a catamaran after a night at sea.

Conversant Traveller blogger Heather Cole and husband Peter know a thing or two about travelling in style and comfort—and getting there in good time to enjoy the experience!

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Heather Cole and husband Peter.

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Which is why the UK couple’s first whale-watching adventure in Sri Lanka was done from the deck of a catamaran after a night cruise in the Indian Ocean waters off Marissa, a premier south-coast beach resort.

Writes Heather: “Most visitors opt for one of the crowded early morning tourist boats chugging out of Mirissa, and if you’re on a tight schedule or budget then this is certainly a worthwhile option.

“Preferring exclusivity and luxury to crowds and plastic seats, we opted for an overnight catamaran cruise with Sail Lanka, a socially responsible and well established yacht charter company that runs sailing cruises and day trips all around the coast of Sri Lanka.

“Taking an overnight tour would also give us a head start on the whales in the morning. We’d already be out at sea, so there would be no need for ridiculously early starts from a shore based hotel.”

She says that “In all, we saw 4 blue whales. It may have been the same whale on 4 separate occasions but it still counts as 4, right? So pleased! We’ve seen whales in the Galapagos, but not as close and as predictable as this. Our whale watching in Sri Lanka was just perfect.”

Conversant Traveller is a blog founded in 2013 by Heather Cole during a Saharan camel trek in Morocco. Today it receives over 228,000 visits each year, from travellers all over the world, with the majority from the UK and the US.